Professor Kathryn North
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Professor
C29 - Children's Hospital Westmead |
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Research interests
Research focus of Professor Kathryn North
Deputy Head, Institute for Neuromuscular Research
Neuromuscular disorders constitute one of the major causes of ongoing disability in childhood. Children with neuromuscular disorders have significant and worsening disabilities; many children are unable to walk and, in severe cases, the weakness impairs the muscles of breathing resulting in death at an early age. The Institute for Neuromuscular Research were established to study inherited neuromuscular disorders such as the muscular dystrophies and staff work closely with the doctors and therapists of the Neurogenetics Clinics to ensure the laboratory discoveries today are translated into real answers for affected children and their families tomorrow.
The Neurogenetics Research Unit and The Institute for Neuromuscular Research now have five teams working on various aspects of skeletal and cardiac muscle structure, function, disease and therapies.
* -Actinins and skeletal muscle performance team
* Cardiac Research Group
* Clinical therapies research team
* Congenital myopathies and muscular dystrophies team
* Dysferlin and membrane repair team
In 2005, the INMR strengthened the clinical therapies research team and advanced their goal to develop therapies for children affected by neuromuscular disorders. By joining the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group (CINRG), an international consortium coordinating clinical trials for therapies of neuromuscular disorders the team are now part of an International group testing the latest developments in therapeutic options. The benefits of this program allows families to access therapeutic options in a controlled environment and for some families access to therapeutic options that would not be currently available. Most importantly it provides families with hope for the future. In order to obtain all necessary approvals and run the trials effectively, the INMR appointed a full time clinical trials coordinator in May 2005. Since then, several new trials have begun and many families have been informed or are enrolled into one of the therapy studies. In a world first, in November 2005, the team contributed to the first gene therapy trials for boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Te INMR now employs 16 staff including 2 scientific coordinators and a clinical fellow and 12 full time and part time PhD and masters students enrolled through the University of Sydney and supervised by senior academic staff of the INMR.
Scientists within the laboratory continue to excel, with many junior researchers receiving awards for their presentations at national and international conferences including Daniel Macarthur, final year PhD student who received Young Investigator Award at the Human Genetics Association of Australasia. Fellow PhD student, Dr Nigel Clarke was awarded the prestigious NHMRC-INSERM postdoctoral fellowship for four years. This fellowship will allow Dr Clarke to continue his research on undefined myopathies and muscular dystrophies at the Institut de Myologie in Paris, France before returning to the INMR in 2009.
Current national competitive grants
2006
Inherited muscle disorders - gene discovery pathobiology and therapy
North K, Laing N, Nowak K
NHMRC Project Grant ($709,375 over 5 years)
The role of Aquaporins in Stunned Myocardium
Winlaw D, North K
NHMRC Project ($404,300 over 3 years)
2008
The influence of alpha actinins on human performance in health and disease
North K, Hardeman E, Gunning P, Head S, Yang N
NHMRC Project Grant ($461,625 over 3 years)
Molecular dissection of the effects of alpha-actinin-3 deficiency on normal variation in skeletal muscle function
North K, Huttley G
Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project ($357,564 over 3 years)